Siheyuan: I eat melons while doing scientific research

Chapter 1251 I fucking didn't tell you to praise him!!! (5k)

Fortunately, the children in the courtyard received their New Year's money from Gao Zhendong after he and his family returned home for the Spring Festival. They also received plenty of snacks and firecrackers, just not on New Year's Eve.

"Chief Engineer Gao still loves children so much. Even though he has children of his own, he hasn't neglected the little rascals in the yard."

“Of course, it won’t change. I still remember what he said when he was eating with his comrades back then.” Sha Zhu recalled the words he heard Gao Zhendong and Wang Dezhu say a few years ago.

"What is it? Tell me." Qin Huairu asked with a curious expression.

"Okay, but you have to reward me with something." Sha Zhu said with a sly, pig-kidney-shaped face.

"Speak quickly, speak well, and I'll reward you! Hahaha~~~~~~"

"I'll tell you tonight. I still need to cook, everyone's waiting. We'll talk about any rewards later."

"Virtue..."

The two laughed and joked as Gao Zhendong and Lou Xiao'e watched the little kids chattering away in the yard.

The Wang Dezhu and Xie Jianye families were also there. Xiao Mei and Cheng Yan carried Yan Zhi in their arms with great difficulty. Xiao Mei was alright; carrying Yan Zhi was relatively easy for her. To her, the younger siblings of Uncle Gao and Aunt Lou were just like her own younger siblings, no different from each other.

However, Cheng Yan found it a bit difficult to carry Bu Yu. He himself was just a little kid, so it was more like he was encircling his younger brother and letting him lean against him than carrying him.

The adults didn't pay any attention to the children. These days, kids are all rough and tough. It's common to see four-year-old brothers and sisters carrying their younger siblings who are a few months or a year old on their backs.

Xie Jianye's son had no one to carry him, so he followed behind Xiaomei, dragging her cotton-padded coat like a little shadow.

Sha Zhu stuck his head out and said, "Dinner's ready!"

Lin Lianwei's voice came from outside the door: "Better late than early. Looks like I've really managed to freeload this meal."

"Hey, Lao Lin, Lao Xue, come on over, perfect timing, let's go eat!"

Gao Zhendong greeted his two classmates, but it was a pity that Su Weihua wasn't in Beijing; otherwise, Gao would have called him immediately to come over. Even if he didn't have a phone, his workplace always did.

Amidst the sound of firecrackers, a group of people walked towards Sha Zhu's house—a lively and festive scene!
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, everyone started going back to work. This was a continuation of the 1949 rule that the Spring Festival would be extended from New Year's Eve to the third day of the Lunar New Year.

Although some companies may not follow this holiday arrangement, the regulations are still in place.

In a hutong in Beijing, Mr. Zhao drove his car back to the entrance of the hutong.

He was a driver, and had been driving for his company for over 10 years. In fact, his hidden identity was just that of a driver. In the early days of the People's Republic of China, there was a shortage of all kinds of talent, and this identity brought him considerable convenience and a good life. Otherwise, Widow Zhang in the alley wouldn't have been so eager to have him.

"Hey, Mr. Zhao, you brought all your cars back today?" a neighbor greeted him when he saw him.

"Yeah, I was on a business trip and just came back to pick up some things. It's convenient to do so on the way." These days, people have mixed feelings about business trips; to sum it up, they both hate and love them.

Business trips are tough, as everyone knows. These days, no matter what mode of transportation you use, there's never an easy business trip.

However, business trips at least indicate that you have a legitimate job, and most likely a secure one at that, and that you are important in your position to have the opportunity to travel.

Many people talk about their business trips with a lot of complaints but also a big smile on their face.

However, Master Zhao did not have much of a smile on his face at this moment.

"Really? Can you give me a ride?" Before the neighbor could even finish saying his destination and "Is it on my way?", Mr. Zhao immediately refused: "No, it's not on my way!"

Watching his hurried figure, the neighbor wondered, "Hey, what's wrong with Old Zhao today? He's not like his usual self. It seems like this mission is quite urgent."

After saying that, he didn't think much of it and continued walking out. Since it was inconvenient for Master Zhao, he would have to walk there himself.

I wish I could go that way, but if I give you a ride this time, it'll really put you in a difficult position. Master Zhao was opening his own door, feeling quite uneasy.

His hands were a little unsteady, and he had to poke the keyhole several times before he could get it in. After opening his own door, he went into the side room and carried the three large wicker boxes on the ground onto the cart.

He only carried one at a time, partly because they were too heavy to carry two at once.

Secondly, if someone sees him, he can easily explain it away by saying it's luggage for a business trip. It's normal to have more luggage for a long business trip, but if it's two suitcases, it's not easy to explain, as it would be too much for a normal business trip.

Some things cannot be rushed. If you look at the actual records of the work of spies these days, you will find that it often looks like a makeshift operation, which is not as tense, urgent and tightly linked as in later movies and TV dramas.

Film and television dramas are, after all, just artistic creations. If something really requires a series of interconnected steps to be achieved, then it is very likely that the thing will be difficult to accomplish. Even a small mistake or delay can ruin the whole thing.

He ran back and forth twice, then picked up the last box in the side room, and reached out to take something from the table and put it in his pocket.

*Smack!*

A crisp sound came from outside, startling him so much that he jumped.

He was relieved when the children's laughter reached his ears; it turned out they were just setting off firecrackers.

I've really become a frightened bird.

He was about to leave with the last box when, as if remembering something, he took the last thing he had put in his pocket out again and threw it back into the pile of junk.

That was a pistol.

However, these things are useless to him now; carrying them would only make him more exposed. The three wicker boxes are necessary for the mission, so there's no other way, but the pistol doesn't provide him with the same level of security as his identity as a driver, and might even have the opposite effect.

Moreover, even if he wanted to do something with that pistol, he couldn't.

Because it was a single-shot "pistol" that required taking bullets one by one from the magazine in the handle, ejecting spent cartridges with a wooden stick, had an extremely short barrel without rifling, and an effective range of only a few meters, making it impossible to aim.

——FP-45 "Liberator".

This gun, used by Americans to fool rebels in Europe and elsewhere, is a super weak weapon that even dogs wouldn't use. The lethality of its bullets is probably less than throwing it at someone; at least the accuracy is better. Or, the probability of the enemy laughing themselves to death upon seeing this gun is much higher than the chance of it killing anyone.

The manufacturers involved in its production included General Motors, refrigerator factories, lighting factories, and so on, but none of them were legitimate military factories. Aside from increasing these factories' revenue by over 200 million Citibank dollars, it served no other purpose.

Some of these things were airdropped to our area back then, but nobody used them; they were afraid of losing face.

For Lao Zhao, using this thing is not as good as asking the kids outside for a string of firecrackers, at least they make a loud noise and they're continuous.

To be honest, Master Zhao didn't know how the higher-ups managed to put this thing as a weapon alongside those three wicker boxes when arranging the hidden supplies. He guessed it was because the real weapons had all been sold off for small change and silver dollars, and this thing was just used to make up the numbers. You tell me, is it a gun or not?

Given the circumstances of the retreat back then, no one would bother to verify whether this thing was actually usable.

When Master Zhao saw this thing, he almost couldn't help but laugh. It's hard to say whether a person can slide tackle a tiger when they are extremely angry, but it is definitely possible to laugh out loud.

He picked up the boxes, put them into the cargo box of the truck covered with a tarpaulin, then squatted in the cargo box and fiddled with it for a while before covering a few boxes with the tarpaulin and driving off towards his destination.

During working hours, Gao Zhendong's car had just entered the No. 3 Rolling Mill and was slowly moving forward amidst the morning rush of people.

Behind them, a truck arrived at the entrance of the No. 3 Rolling Mill, and the gatekeeper routinely stopped it and asked it to show its documents.

"Comrade, which unit are you going to?" There are many units in the No. 3 Rolling Mill.

"Factory No. 3, this is the letter of introduction." He said this not because he couldn't find his way and needed directions, but because he was afraid that if he used the words of another unit, the route he took inside would be different from the destination he was told, and he would be exposed immediately.

The driver was "Master Zhao," who tried to appear calm and handed a letter of introduction to the gatekeeper.

Forging letters of introduction wasn't difficult for them, so Mr. Zhao wasn't too worried. But he was anxious. Inside the cargo box, he had already lit the fuse!

He didn't have a timer. During the retreat, standard timers were high-end products, and not many were available; that's just how limited the technology was back then. In fact, many people who made time bombs in that era made their own timers.

For example, the idealist who almost killed the art student who failed his college entrance exam in the coffee shop before S2 happened had a self-made timer that actually worked quite well.

Furthermore, the standard timers used by spies before and after S2 were not as sophisticated as later generations imagined. Because electronic technology was unreliable and outdated, timers were often mechanical or chemical, and their accuracy was questionable. For example, John Bull's "Number 10 timer pen" relied on copper chloride to corrode an iron wire to release the firing pin. It was more reliable than electronic ones, but the timing was not accurate, and adjusting the timing was very troublesome, relying on adjusting the thickness of the iron wire or the concentration of copper chloride.

He did have a detonator, but he couldn't possibly use it. He would try to find a way to escape, at least he had enough money and a letter of introduction, and in this era of poor communication, it wasn't entirely impossible.

Therefore, his only option was to use a sufficiently long fuse to set a timer. Compared to his virtually nonexistent technology in manufacturing timers, the burning speed of this thing was actually quite controllable.

In order to minimize his time in the No. 3 rolling mill, he lit the fuse in advance. He wasn't afraid that there wouldn't be enough time. As long as it exploded in the No. 3 rolling mill, he would have something to show for it.

His only worry now is that the fuse burning in the cargo box will smell too strong if it burns for too long! At that point, he might have no choice but to step on the gas and drive in.

However, things didn't go as he had imagined.

The gatekeepers at the No. 3 Rolling Mill were different from those elsewhere.

If other factories generally call their staff "gatekeepers," then at the Third Rolling Mill, not only the Third Branch Factory, but even the main gate of the Third Rolling Mill itself should be called "guards."

The security guard was taken aback when he received the letter of introduction. After taking it, he looked at it carefully and then looked up at his colleague next to him.

has a problem!
If people in other workshops or units of the Third Rolling Mill can be introduced with only one letter of introduction, then people going to the Third Branch Mill will definitely not be introduced with only one letter of introduction.

Are you kidding me? You think you can get a job at the Third Factory with just a simple letter of introduction?
Even if the comrades who came to the Third Factory didn't know this, the comrades who sent them to the Third Factory would know, and the comrades who allowed them to come to the Third Factory would know even more.

Since this car is unknown, then it's simple: this person is not a comrade!

The security guard gestured to his colleague next to him, and the two of them began to take their guns off their shoulders!
Before the gatekeeper could finish saying "Come here for a moment," Mr. Zhao, who had been on high alert, stepped on the gas and sped towards the factory.

Sure enough there is a problem!
The truck driver was tall, and his movements were sudden, so it was no longer possible to shoot directly at the driver.

"Bang! Bang!" Two gunshots rang out.

It's okay if you can't hit anyone, at least give them a warning first.

Upon hearing the gunshot, the workers who were still walking into the factory gate immediately scattered to both sides. They immediately realized that the problem was caused by the large truck. If they didn't get out of the way, would they just wait to be run over?

As for the trucks themselves, haha, do you think our factory's core militia are just sitting around doing nothing? They're the ones who were once awarded combat hero titles and multiple first-class merit awards, okay?

The comrades were full of confidence, but at this moment, the comrades in Gao Zhendong's car immediately raised their vigilance to the highest level! They immediately stepped on the gas, and at the same time, one of the comrades in the passenger seat leaned over to try to pin Gao Zhendong down.

Unexpectedly, Gao Zhendong's actions were completely beyond their expectations.

He yanked open the car door, jumped out, and then rolled on the ground, leaning against a flower bed. He pressed his body down as much as possible and began to move his hands.

The reason he did this was not because he was a prophet, but because he had a very keen sense of smell!

The value of the system enhancement has increased once again at this moment.

He could smell gunpowder coming from the car, and he could even identify what it was.

—The smell of a burning fuse.

Having worked on various pyrotechnic products and risked his life on the battlefield for three years, he was extremely familiar with this smell.

"Spread out! There's ignited explosives on the vehicle!"

Gao Zhendong's voice was incredibly loud, and everyone could hear it clearly.

This terrified the two comrades who had just jumped out of his car. They rushed forward desperately, determined to drag Comrade Gao Zhendong away!

However, they were not as fast as Gao Zhendong!

In Gao Zhendong's hand was the TT-33 pistol that had been issued to him since he took on the role of deputy head of the training section of the factory's security department. He had just taken it out of his warehouse.

"Pa pa pa pa pa pa pa……"

Before anyone could react, Gao Zhendong raised his hand and fired all seven bullets from the magazine. From touching the gun to loading it to firing, the whole process was seamless and extremely fast.

If it weren't for the fact that he was holding a pistol, the comrade next to him would have thought it was a submachine gun firing just from the sound.

"Bang...bang...sizzle~~~~~~" The truck's tire burst, quickly leaking air, and the truck's speed immediately slowed down.

"Ugh..." At this point, it was clear that the windshield of the truck's driver's seat had several holes shattered, and blood was splattered all over the glass.

The truck's horn switch was probably pressed down by the truck driver's foot, and it kept blaring.

It seems this person was actually trying to shift gears, indicating that running the checkpoint was definitely not a mistake! Combined with Chief Engineer Gao's warning, this vehicle is absolutely a menace!

The horn switch on this truck is located near the clutch, and the fact that it could be pressed down by the driver's foot can only be explained by one thing—this person was trying to shift gears and accelerate when he was shot by Chief Engineer Gao!
After firing his gun, Gao Zhendong made no further moves, because his comrades in the car rushed up and grabbed him tightly, dragging him backward. He could easily break free, but if he did, the comrades holding him would definitely be injured.

So Gao Zhendong didn't break free, but instead cooperated and retreated. As for the fuse that had already been lit on the vehicle, he saw that the gatekeeper had caught up with the vehicle and climbed into the cargo box.

Meanwhile, some of the other workers from the Third Rolling Mill ignored Gao Zhendong's warning that there were explosives in the truck and tried to climb into the driver's cab through the window to stop the truck from going any further.

I didn't know there were explosives in the car, so for my safety, I naturally had to take cover.

But now that they hear there are explosives on the vehicle, many comrades are putting the safety of the factory before their own.

As Gao Zhendong was being dragged back towards the safe zone, he watched as, with the efforts of his comrades, a burning fuse was thrown off the vehicle by a comrade carrying a multi-functional bayonet, and the vehicle itself was brought to a stop by the factory's comrades.

He stopped abruptly, motionless, and stuffed the gun in his hand into his pocket: "It's all over, let's go, let's go to work!"

Unable to drag him, his two comrades had no choice but to follow him slowly toward the Third Factory.

As he walked, he thought to himself, "Hey, who the hell is this? Playing 'I'm Magnetic Stick' here? Looks like this is going to be fun." As for what "I'm Magnetic Stick" means, anyone who's played Gao Zhendong in their past life and played Red Alert 2 knows.

Behind them, a busy crowd.

"Ring ring~~~~~~"

Inside the National Defense Committee, the telephone rang loudly, as if in great urgency.

When the leader of the National Defense Industry Committee answered the phone, he stood up immediately after hearing only the first sentence, his voice rising eight octaves.

"What?! Is there a problem with Comrade Zhendong?! Are there any problems with the other comrades in the factory?!"

The voice on the other end of the phone was urgent, but there was no grief or panic: "No, the enemy driver was shot dead on the spot by Comrade Gao Zhendong..."

"Him?!?! What nonsense! Who do you think he is?!" The leader was so angry he was about to explode.

But thinking about it, among everyone present, he really seems to be the most capable in this regard.

"Sir, you know what? Comrade Gao Zhendong hasn't been on the battlefield for so many years, but his marksmanship hasn't deteriorated at all. One shot to the neck, two shots to the head, two shots to the side of the tires—not a single bullet was wasted." The comrade reporting from the other side was somewhat amazed.

I didn't tell you to praise him!!!
(End of this chapter)